Legislative Updates
Arizona: The City of Chandler will hold an All-Mail Special Election asking Voters to Approve a Charter Change that will move the City’s Election from the Last Tuesday in August to the First Tuesday in August.
Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has Signed Legislation into Law that should help Speed Up the Ballot Counting Process. SB 1135 was Unanimously Approved with an Emergency Clause in both the House and Senate. Maricopa County Election Workers will be Allowed to use a New Electronic method to Fix Ballot Errors in March, rather than make Corrections by Hand.
California: Under Senate Bill 207, that was Approved by the Assembly 60-12 this week, Voters would be Allowed to Change their Party Preference or Residence within Two weeks of an Election Without having to Re-Register to Vote. If Signed by Newsom, SB 207 would Immediately become Law, meaning it would Apply to the 2020 California Primary Election, as well as the 2020 General Election in November.
AB2027 is under Consideration in the General Assembly, that would Require All Registered Voters to Return their Ballots either by Mail or to a Vote Center, even if they leave the Ballot Blank.
Kansas: Legislators are considering a Bill that would make the State’s Top Election Spot Nonpartisan. Additionally, the Secretary of State would have to Resign before Running for a Partisan office.
Maine: The Maine Republican Party announced this week that it is Launching a Petition Drive to put a Question on the November Ballot that would ask Voters to Repeal the Law that Expanded Ranked-Choice Voting for Presidential Elections.
Maryland: The Carroll County Board of Commissioners has Denied a Request from the County’s Election Director to have more of a Police Presence at the Polls on Election Day. The County Commissioners Denied the Request because it was Not Included in the Budget.
Minnesota: A Bipartisan Group of State Lawmakers has Introduced Legislation that would Restrict the Sharing of Party Preference Data. State Political Parties could Only Share Voters’ Names with a National Party Representative for the Purposes of Verifying Participation. The Data would also be Classified under State Law as Private, and Voters could Opt-Out of having their Names on the Lists.
Mississippi: Sen. David Blount (D-29th District, Hinds County) has introduced a Series of Election Reform Bills covering everything from Ex-Felon Voting Rights to Online Voter Registration, to Early Voting.
Missouri: State Rep. Wiley Price (D-84th District, St. Louis) has introduced Legislation that will Allow for Early Voting in the Show Me State.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) is pushing the Legislature to do Away with the State’s Presidential Preference Primary. “We ignore the results and then we have a caucus that actually chooses delegates to choose who goes to the national conventions,” Ashcroft noted. “We could save $9.1 million immediately every four years, plus interest,” Ashcroft told Lawmakers.
Nevada: Sen. Ben Kieckhefer (R-16th District) has filed a Proposed Initiative Petition that, if successful, would Create a Top-Two Primary system. “It’s not about political parties, it’s not about candidates as much as it’s about voters,” Kieckhefer said. “This gives all voters in the state of Nevada the right to choose who represents them in the government.”
New York: The Cayuga County Legislature has Approved a Salary Increase for the County’s Two Part-Time Elections Commissioners. The Legislature Approved Increasing the Salaries for the Two Commissioners from $12,587 to $25,000. “I think that people are a little bit in the dark as far as the amount of work that ends up being done year-round in the Board of Elections,” Elections Commissioner Katie Lacey said.
Ohio: Attorney General Dave Yost has Rejected Ballot Language for the Secure and Fair Elections Amendment. The Proposed Constitutional Amendment would Allow for Same-Day Registration as well as Automatic Voter Registration. Amendment Proponents have said they Plan to Refile.
Puerto Rico: The Legislature is considering a Bill to Reform the Territory’s Electoral Code and included in that Legislation is Language that Calls on the Electoral Commission to Create an Internet Voting Program. The Plan starts with a Pilot Project to let Voters who are Eligible Vote Early or Absentee to Cast their Ballots over the Internet in this November’s General Election. The Second Phase Expands the Option to Vote Online to All Voters in the 2024 Election.
South Dakota: The House Local Government Committee has forwarded Two pieces of Election Registration Legislation. HB 1050 will Allow the State to Implement Online Voter Registration beginning July 1st, 2021 and HB 1051 would make Birth Years Private in the Voter Registration Database.
Tennessee: The Bristol City Council is considering an Ordinance that would Change the Date of Elections for City Council and Board of Education to Coincide with Regularly Scheduled National and State Elections.
Utah: HB36, sponsored by Rep. Suzanne Harrison (D-32nd District, Draper), would Consolidate Utah’s Voter Registration Deadlines to a Single Deadline of 11 days Prior to an Election. The Bill would still Permit Same-Day Voter Registration on Election Day.
Virginia: By a 65-35 vote, the House of Delegates has Approved a Bill that will Allow for No-Excuse Absentee Voting and Extend the Deadline for Absentee Ballots to Arrive and be Counted.
The Senate has Approved a Bill that would Repeal the State’s Current Voter ID Requirements. If Enacted, Voters in Virginia could present Any Government Document containing their Name and Address, such as a Copy of a Current Utility Bill, Government Check, or a Paycheck, and Not just a Government-Issued Photo ID.
Washington: The Legislature is considering a Bill that would put Requirements on Organizations or People other than Family Members who Collect a Person’s Ballot and Drop it in the Mail or in a Drop Box. The Legislation would Require the Voter and Collector to Sign a Form that says the Ballot is being Picked Up. The Election Security Bill also Limit how Military and Overseas Ballots can be Returned.
Legal Updates
Alabama: Alabama can be Sued for Alleged Violations of the Voting Rights Act, a Federal Court Ruled this week in a Case that Claims the State’s Election System has kept Blacks from being Elected to the State’s Appellate Courts. Sovereign Immunity, which normally Protects States from Lawsuits, doesn’t Apply when it comes to the Voting Rights Act, according to the 2-1 Decision of a Panel of Judges on the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Arizona: Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) has asked the Supreme Court to Keep in Place a Law Prohibiting Ballot Harvesting that a Panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Unconstitutional. “The Ninth Circuit took the unusual step of overruling multiple previous rulings in the State’s favor,” Brnovich said. “Thereby rejecting Arizona’s authority to secure its elections and discourage potential voter fraud.”
Lawyers, on behalf of Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs, have filed Briefs arguing that Voto Latino and Priorities USA have No Legal Standing to Challenge the State’s Mail Ballot Deadline. The Groups had Sued arguing that Requiring People to Turn-In Mail Ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day is Unconstitutional.
Michigan: The Michigan State Police have Arrested a 72-year-old Man from Groveland Township for making Threats against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The Threats were Left on Her Voicemail and made to a Person in the Secretary of State’s Office.
Texas: U.S. District Court Judge Orlando Garcia has Ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to Register Three Voters based on their Online Driver’s License Address. Lawyers for the Plaintiffs had Argued that the State was Violating the National Voter Registration Act. Last week’s Ruling applies Only to the Three Plaintiffs. Garcia is expected to Issue a Long-Term Solution at a later date. Saying he wants a Firm Grasp of how long it will take Texas to Comply with Federal Voter Registration Mandates, Garcia this week Ordered Opposing Sides to Meet with Technology Specialists by the End of the Week. Garcia Ordered Lawyers for Both Sides to file Sworn Declarations by the End of next Monday on the Feasibility of Proposed Fixes and how Long they would take to Accomplish. “It is difficult to believe that full compliance with the NYRA could be accomplished in 90 days, yet this interim measure would take months, a year, or more,” Garcia wrote.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
